


Together We Stand but Divided We Fall

by KaylaRachille



Series: Ashivia Scene Fix-Its and Episode Alternate Endings [4]
Category: All American (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Angst, Blood, Blood and Injury, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Fix-it, Episode Related, F/M, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Panic Attacks, Self-Hatred, Strained Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:00:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27567892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaylaRachille/pseuds/KaylaRachille
Summary: An alternate ending to Season Two Episode Ten'Protect Ya Neck':A look at what would have happened if Asher had been there during the shooting scene at the cotillion.Snippet from Story:With all the noises around him sounding far away he hears a car unlock before the sound of squealing tires pierces through the foggy night air.What he hears next causes his blood to run cold — the sound of two gunshots ring through the air causing him to cover his head with his hands.What the hell was that?He thinks through his hazy mind blinking rapidly when he hears the sound of a motor racing by that he only catches as a black blur of a car before it disappears down the street.“Somebody help!” Comes a terrified voice that he only vaguely recognizes as Olivia's as he pulls himself shakily off the ground.Olivia, wait…He thinks as he hurries down the sidewalk before he runs out into the street not prepared for the scene that is playing out in front of him.(Contains Spoilers)
Relationships: Asher Adams/Olivia Baker
Series: Ashivia Scene Fix-Its and Episode Alternate Endings [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1848343
Kudos: 11





	Together We Stand but Divided We Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, y'all! :)
> 
> I hope y'all will enjoy my rewrite of the shooting scene in the cotillion episode. 
> 
> This story will answer the thought of what if Asher hadn't left right after he stormed out of the cotillion. 
> 
> And it will also address the conversation that Billy and Asher had in the locker room prior to everything. (Which honestly irked me so much because I was like Billy listen to this boy who just told you his family doesn't care if he is home and they won't miss him. :/)
> 
> Enjoy! <3
> 
> Please Note: This story does contain several topics that may be triggering such as gun violence; mentions of blood and injury; self-hatred; and panic attacks so please read with extra caution and care! <3

The cool night air feels like an immediate relief against his flushed face as Asher pushes through the door leaving behind the loud music and the suffocating atmosphere of the cotillion dance floor. 

_I have really fucked up this time._ Asher thinks feeling his anger at himself still coursing through his veins as he loosens his tie. 

He stalks over to the side street where he had to park since he had gotten there so late not bothering to look both ways down the street for oncoming cars.

 _There’s no way in hell that Olivia is going to forgive me for this. I mean who the fuck chooses football over their girlfriend._ He thinks sitting down heavily between his car and a stranger’s car on the damp sidewalk from the light rain that fell on his drive over not caring when his dress pants become soaked causing him to shiver. 

His phone buzzes in his suit jacket pocket but he ignores it not caring who it is or understanding why anyone would want to talk to him. When his phone buzzes again he turns it off without even bothering to see who it is. 

He looks down at the light pink rose that he had picked up for Olivia on his way over to the cotillion feeling foolish that he thought a flower would make up for what he did. 

He releases the rose watching as it falls into the small stream of water flowing down to the sewer drain. Blinking as the rose disappears from his sight, he hides his face in his hands feeling even more ashamed of himself when the words he shouted at Olivia ring in his ears. 

_“Congratulations. I guess. You didn’t tell me you were getting an award.”_

But what he really wanted to say was how proud he was of her and how happy he was about the award that she had gotten but instead he made it about himself. 

_“Well, I came to apologize to my girlfriend, but it looks like you’re doing just fine without me.”_

What he wanted to tell her was that he was so sorry for not putting her first as she deserved and how thankful he was that she had other people there for her but the hurt he felt when she kissed Spencer on the cheek replaced any thought of an apology he had. 

_“Football is all that I have, Liv. I didn’t get to pick and choose and get an award for whatever I want, alright?”_

He buries his head further in his hands if that is at all possible as he thinks of the hurt look that Olivia sent him after he told her that as she asked him what the hell was wrong with him which he was wondering the same thing. 

But he feels disgusted with himself because he knows exactly what is wrong with him — the extra dose of steroids he took before his and Jordan’s practice with Matt Springer was taking longer to leave his system. Which has left him on edge more than any time before. 

_God, how stupid can I be?_ He wonders as he thinks about how everything is going to be over when his secret gets out. 

His breath catches in his throat when he hears Olivia’s and Spencer's voices but he is unable to hear what they say through the loud pounding of his erratic heartbeat in his ears. 

He slouches forward farther with his shoulders slumping under the heaviness of everything that has happened. 

With all the noises around him sounding far away he hears a car unlock before the sound of squealing tires pierce through the foggy night air. 

What he hears next causes his blood to run cold — the sound of two gunshots ring through the air causing him to cover his head with his hands. 

_What the hell was that?_ He thinks through his hazy mind blinking rapidly when he hears the sound of a motor racing by that he only catches as a black blur of a car before it disappears down the street. 

“Somebody help!” Comes a terrified voice that he only vaguely recognizes as Olivia's as he pulls himself shakily off the ground. 

_Olivia, wait…_ He thinks as he hurries down the sidewalk before he runs out into the street not prepared for the scene that is playing out in front of him. 

Olivia is kneeling down on the blacktop next to Spencer pressing her hands down onto his shoulder with blood pooling at an alarming rate from the wound. 

“Help!” Olivia screams again on the edge of hysterics as she locks eyes with Spencer silently pleading with him to stay awake. 

“Liv?” Asher chokes out as he kneels next to her finally realizing what just happened. 

_Spencer was just shot…_ He numbly thinks as he touches her bare shoulder causing her to jump. 

“Asher?” Olivia asks blinking her wide eyes over to him. 

“Are you okay?” He asks with his tongue going numb as he tries to process what just happened. 

“Yeah.” She answers glancing down at the blood staining her dress and then at the blood that is on her hands before she looks back up to Asher. “He needs help.” She whispers as tears start to fall down her ashen cheeks. 

“I'm going to go get help. Okay?” He tells her after seeing that the blood is still pooling out of Spencer’s wound — his gunshot wound he reminds himself as he gives Spencer and Olivia what he hopes is a reassuring smile before he leaves them to run up the steps to get Coach Baker or anyone to help. 

He looks down at his phone seeing the black screen from where he turned it off with a frustration sigh, he shoves it back into his suit jacket pocket as he pushes open the door. 

He passes blindly by people who are leaving unaware of what is happening outside as he scans the vast dance floor for the Baker's. 

“Coach!” He yells gaining the attention of the whole room which he hadn’t meant to do but he ignores them as he hurries over to them. 

“Asher, son I don’t think now is the time.” Billy states when he eyes his daughter's boyfriend with a hard look of disappointment on his face. 

“I—” Asher starts before Billy cuts him off. 

“I don’t want to hear any more of your excuses tonight.” Billy tells him crossing his arms over his chest. 

Asher tries to form words to tell them what is going on but his tongue feels thick and the words get caught in his throat. 

“Asher, are you okay?” Laura asks when she steps beside her husband noticing how pale Asher's face instantly has went. 

“Please…” Asher finally whispers out his voice sounding strange to his own ears. 

“Asher, what’s wrong?” Billy questions grasping him by the shoulders since the boy looks like he might collapse any moment. 

“Spencer was shot.” Asher tells them with black spots floating in his vision. 

“What?” Billy exclaims in disbelief before he lets go of Asher so he can take his wife's hand as they rush outside. 

“Whoa, Ash.” Jordan exclaims as he sees his friend start to sway on his feet out of the corner of his eye before he reaches out to grab him before he falls face-first onto the ground. 

“I’m okay Jay.” Asher tells him after he takes in a few deep breaths. 

“Are you sure?” Jordan asks his eyes narrowing with worry as he reluctantly lets go of him. 

Asher only nods his head slightly in response not trusting his voice or that he won’t throw up on his shoes as the bile continues to rise in his throat. 

“Let's go.” Jordan decides as he watches Asher for another moment seeing that a little bit of color has returned to his face. 

They run outside as quickly as they can to find a crowd in the middle of the street gathered around Spencer and Olivia. Looking back at Asher who gives him a nod Jordan rushes forward his eyes fixated on his friend and twin as Asher sinks down onto the steps once his legs finally give out. 

Asher tries to focus on slowing down his breathing and his racing heart as he thinks it’s never been this hard to calm down after his previous times of using the steroids before practice. But this time through the haze in his mind he also knows that he is having a panic attack as he is coming down from this high. 

As much as he wants to rush over and help he can't bring himself to get off the steps and go over to them because he’s afraid of what he’ll find. 

So, he watches through his blurred vision as an ambulance pulls up and the crowd of people part as the paramedics rush over to Spencer. 

When he blinks his eyes open, he isn’t sure how much time has passed because now the paramedics are loading Spencer into the back of the ambulance and then they help Olivia up into it before they speed away with their sirens blaring down the street. 

“Are you okay to drive Ash?” Jordan asks on his way to his parent's car. 

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” Asher assures him as he finally pulls himself up off the steps finding his legs still shaky. 

Jordan nods before he follows his parents leaving Asher alone for the second time that night. 

It’s another twenty minutes before his hands stop shaking and he’s able to grip the steering wheel so he can slowly pull away from the curb making his way in a daze to the hospital. 

_Please be okay._ He hopes worrying about what will happen to Spencer and Olivia. 

*** 

Billy watches Asher pace in front of the door to the waiting room door with a mixture of emotions flooding through him. 

“There are seats in there whenever you get tired.” Billy explains after clearing his throat as he takes a step closer to him his resolve of any anger, he was feeling toward him breaks when he sees the guilt darkening his daughter's boyfriend's face when he looks at him. 

“Oh.” Asher says staring blankly at the door. 

“You know I was wrong when I didn’t listen to you earlier in the locker room.” Billy exclaims as he sits down on the wooden bench. 

“Just forget it.” Asher tells him with a shrug sitting down next to him as he rubs his sweaty palms along the front of his jeans. 

“But you were trying to tell me something and I dismissed you.” Billy reasons with him letting out a long breath. “So, if you need to talk about anything. I’m here. You’re family Ash..” He says eyeing him carefully when he sees him tense at his words. 

“But I’m not _your_ family.” Asher exclaims as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“Actually, you are.” Billy tells him explaining further after the questioning look that Asher sends him. “I mean you’ve been best friends with my kids for forever and now you’re dating my daughter.” He explains sending him a warm smile. 

“I don’t have any family left.” Asher whispers feeling more lonelier than ever as he leans his head back against the wall with a dull ache pulsing behind his eyes. 

“You always have a family in us Ash.” Billy promises him eyeing him for a moment longer before he gets up to join his wife and daughter in the waiting room. 

The Baker’s look up when they hear the door to the waiting room click shut to find Asher standing there looking nervous and slightly out of place. 

Laura and Billy watch with identical looks of curiosity as their daughter runs over to hug him tightly both of them holding onto each other for dear life. 

“I’m so sorry Liv.” Asher whispers in her ear as he takes in the familiar scent of her peach-scented shampoo. 

“We can talk about everything later. Right now, all that matters is that you’re here.” She explains feeling safe once more in his arms. 

“Okay.” He agrees with a nod as they pull back with a sense of relief floods through him at seeing that she is okay as she leads him over to sit across from her and her parents as they all wait for news about Spencer.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I would love to know what y'all thought about this story! <3
> 
> If you did please leave me a comment with your thoughts and/or a kudo!
> 
> Your guy's comments and kudos make my day and make me smile! 💛
> 
> Do you feel like I fixed things well enough in this story? Are you happy that I addressed the conversation that Billy and Asher had in the locker room? (What were your thoughts on that particular scene?)
> 
> So, this is the last part that I have planned for this series until Season Three premieres as I will be continuing it for S3 as well! I hope y'all are happy to hear that! ;)
> 
> But even though this is the last part I have planned please let me know if there are any scenes that you would like rewritten as I would be more than happy to write those stories for you! (I am open to writing any characters/pairings. :)
> 
> And I would love to know what your favorite part/story from this series was! This has been such fun to write and I love so much that y'all have enjoyed it so far! :D
> 
> (And I will be revisiting the shooting in the cotillion scene in an upcoming series that I was originally going to write for this story but I decided to go in a different direction. But new stories are coming soon!)


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